For Classic Weekend Info Visit:: Arnold Classic Weekend - Miss International - International Fitness - Fitness Expo
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In 1967, Jim Lorimer, who had been engaged in sports promotion for several
years, ran the National Weight Lifting Championships and the Mr. America
contest in Columbus Ohio - both were very successful. He was Chairman of the
World Weightlifting Championships in 1970, and in connection with the World
Weightlifting Championships. In 1970, he also ran a Mr. World Competition
that year, in which he invited the 6 top bodybuilders in the world to come
in to Columbus Ohio. One of them was a young Austrian who just came over from Europe. The Austrian, Arnold Schwarzenegger, came in that weekend and he won the Mr. World 1970 competition. When he was done competing that day, he came up to Jim and said: "This is the best competition I've ever been in, when I am done competing in the sport of bodybuilding, I want to go into the promotion of the sport, raise the image of the sport and I am going to raise the cash-prizes up to 100,000 dollars and make it a very professional sport." That evening Arnold won a cash-prize of $500 dollars and after hearing Arnold say he wanted to raise the cash-prize up to $100,000.00, Jim agreed. However, Jim did not know who Arnold really was.  Five years later, in 1975, when Arnold won his last contest in Africa, he stopped of in Columbus Ohio on his way home to California and he said: "As I told you five years ago, I am now done competing in the sport of bodybuilding, I wanted to go into the promotion of the sport, and I want you to be my partner. So you run the contest and I will help get the athletes to help raise money." That day Arnold and Jim shook hands and started the largest Fitness/ Bodybuilding Weekend ever created!  The first Arnold Classic was held in 1989, offering $10,000 in cash prizes. With hard work and Arnold's media savvy, they increased the total amount awarded to $100,000 within four years. It was better, but still not the goal that Arnold had shared with Lorimer back in 1970: the $100,000 grand prize. That was the kind of money that recognizes the competitors' hard work, the kind of money that says, "I am a professional athelete." That goal was finally reached in 1995, with Michael Francois taking home the first big check. As the prize money grew, so did the event. In keeping with Arnold's interest in fitness, The Arnold Classic weekend expanded every year to include a full weekend of fitness competitions, events, expos and seminarts. 
Every year the Arnold Classic weekend draws millions of people and one of the main events during the weekend are the competitions for the Arnold Classic title and the $100,000 grand prize! Arnold Classic Winners: 
1989 Rich Gaspari 1990 Mike Ashley 1991 Shawn Ray 1992 Vince Taylor 1993 Flex Wheeler 1994 Kevin Levrone 1995 Michael Francois 1996 Kevin Levrone 1997 Flex Wheeler 1998 Flex Wheeler 1999 Nasser El Sonbaty 2000 Flex Wheeler 2001 Ronnie Coleman 2002 Jay Cutler ArnoldClassic.com and order your tickets NOW.  Related sites:  
 
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